This invention relates to a ground and test apparatus for use in combination with switchgear apparatus having upper and lower circuit breaker compartments which respectively include bus and line or load side contacts having reverse vertical positions, and more particularly to such a ground and test apparatus including indicia means for indicating the proper location of the bus and line or load side switchgear contacts in the upper and lower switchgear compartments.
A simple switchgear equipment design includes upper and lower circuit breaker compartments electrically connected to a common bus which is centrally positioned between the upper and lower circuit breaker compartments. In this switchgear equipment configuration, the line or load and bus switchgear contacts in the upper and lower compartments are reversed. That is, generally, the upper compartment has switchgear bus contacts on the bottom and switchgear line or load contacts on the top while the lower switchgear compartment has switchgear bus contacts on the top and switchgear line or load contacts on the bottom.
The relative vertical reversal of switchgear contacts in the upper and lower switchgear compartments may cause problems when one employs a ground and test apparatus for use on a circuit(s) protected by the upper or lower circuit breaker. More particularly, when work is being performed on a power circuit, the protective circuit breaker is generally removed from the circuit breaker compartment and replaced with a ground and test apparatus. The ground and test apparatus is inserted into the breaker compartment and grounding leads are connected between the switchgear contacts of a power circuit(s) which is to be grounded and a ground bus on the ground and test apparatus. If an error is made in the grounding connection, a line, or bus, circuit may be inadvertently short circuited. Such an error can lead to a dangerous condition.
Accordingly, it is a general object of my invention to provide a ground and test apparatus for use in combination with switchgear apparatus having upper and lower circuit breaker compartments with reverse position bus side and line or load side switchgear contacts wherein the ground and test apparatus includes indicia means for visually indicating the proper location of the bus and line or load side contacts.
Another object of my invention is to provide such a ground and test apparatus which includes inhibiting means for inhibiting the insertion of the ground and test apparatus into one of the switchgear compartments when the indicia means visually indicates the improper location of the switchgear bus and line or load side contacts.